A Turkish NGO Committed to Bringing Real Change for Syrians

It is estimated that currently Turkey houses more than 1.6 million Syrian refugees, with a significant portion of them being children. A Turkish non-governmental organization, called SosyalBen, which means “Social Me” in Turkish, hopes to develop a nurturing, creative social atmosphere for children. Founded by Ece Ciftci, the NGO works with 10,000 economically disadvantaged youth throughout Turkey and the United States, as well as field projects located in Gambia and Cambodia.

Sosyalben aims to create a series of 10 workshops to engage young Syrian refugees, ages 7 to 13, using proceeds from auctions held in the United States to reach their 20,000USD project goal. They will also begin a six-month program which will offer 400 primary school students the opportunity to grow, learn and process some of their emotions after being removed from such a traumatic situation. Throughout the workshops, SosyalBen employs creative methods to interacting and engaging with the children, including art, sports and creative writing, where the children are given a chance to write stories that allow them to process how they feel. Ultimately, the organization hopes to provide an emotionally healthy, dynamic environment where the children can expand their horizons, build their confidence and develop into productive teenagers. And that’s #GoodNews.

Related Topics

Lena Kassicieh, a socio-cultural researcher, journalist and photographer, brings a diverse analytical perspective to BarakaBits. Of Palestinian descent, Lena writes inspiring stories about individuals and organizations working to improve their local communities. Her love of the MENA region shines through her work, and her energy, voice and perspective have been a cornerstone of BarakaBits vision.